Winona strokes his leg from knee to mid-thigh all during the ride home, well aware of the effect on him. When he pulls into the parking space at the apartment, she smiles at him and slides it farther upwards, but he grabs her wrist before she reaches her goal. "I still gotta walk in. Let's not make that any harder than it's already gonna be."

Winona looks at him, eyes wide, and bursts out laughing.

"Shit," he chuckles when he realizes the double entendre of what he just said. They're both still laughing when they push open the apartment door, but the laughter fades to surprise and a little disappointment when they discover they aren't alone.

"Hey," Katie says from her perch at the counter. "I've been waiting for you guys. I got a question for you."

"Okay," Winona says.

"Would you guys want to live here?"

"Well, I already do," Winona laughs. "And Raylan is here often enough that I'm surprised he doesn't get mail."

Katie gives her a smile. "No, what I mean is, would you guys like to take over the lease on this place?"

Winona glances at Raylan, then back to her roommate. "What are you going to do?"

Katie stares down at her hands clasped together on the counter. "I need a change of scenery. This whole thing with Greg, seeing him at the hospital everyday, well...I'm transferring my internship to a smaller hospital in Ogden. They usually won't let you do that, but they're short-handed and really need the help, so they're happy to have me."

"Ogden's not that far," Winona says. "You could still live here."

"I already found an apartment there in Ogden," Katie says. "I just...well, I should've talked to you but..." She sighs. "I know I've been a bitch. It's just, you guys have been so happy and I..." she laughs. "...haven't. Hell, even when you broke up there, for ...what was it? Three or four days? I knew it wouldn't last. I think you guys are stuck with each other." She smiles at Winona. "I knew it when you couldn't wipe the smile off your face that first day after you met him. You were a goner."

Winona blushes and Raylan's mouth turns up in a small smile.

"I should have been a better friend," Winona sits on a stool next to her. "I'm sorry if we made this break-up harder. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," Katie says. "So what about the apartment? Do you want it"

"We'll think about it," Raylan says.

"Okay." Katie gets up and fishes in her purse. "If you decide not to take it, we'll owe a penalty since there's another six months until the lease is up. I'll help you pay it." She writes something on a piece of paper and gives it to Winona. "Here's my new cell number; I don't want Greg calling anymore so I dumped the old one."

Winona stands and gives her a hug. "Call me."

"I will," Katie says. "Let me know about the apartment. See you, Raylan."

"Bye." He takes off the hat and sets it on the counter.

Winona sighs and shrugs out of her coat. "That's a surprise," she says. "What do you think?"

"Well, it would give us more time to decide where we wanted to live."

"And we wouldn't have to move right away...well, I wouldn't."

"I don't have that much to move." He shrugs.

She laughs, thinking of the meager collection of belongings in the four rooms of his tiny apartment. "That's true."

He steps in closer. "I think it's a good idea."

"Alright then, that's what we'll do." She wraps her arms around him. "I guess you could start moving in anytime."

He runs his hands up and down her back. "Not tonight. I got a reward comin'."

She laughs into his chest. "Yes, I guess you do."

-o-o-O-o-o-

"My God, Woman," he says. He stares at the ceiling as the after-shocks ripple up his spine.

Winona rests her chin on his hip and looks up at him. "Liked that, did you?"

"My God," he says again. "Where did that come from?"

She grins. "You inspire me." She inches up his body, skin to skin, running her fingers lightly along his ribs. He squirms and she laughs. "Ticklish?"

"Nah, just...wow." He shivers and pulls her in for a long kiss.

"Well, that was one," she says, teasing. "Got anything left, Cowboy?"

"Gimme a minute here." He huffs out a breath. "Maybe a few minutes or an hour."

She drums her fingertips on his chest in mock impatience. "You're nothin' but a big talker, aren'tcha?" She grins a challenge.

"What did you say?" He flips over, startling her so she goes flat on her back. He pins her arms at her side and she gives a squeak of surprise. Holding her still, he kisses her neck, right in the curve of her shoulder. She squirms, but he doesn't release her. He moves his mouth down to her breast shifting his weight to keep her pinned. He lingers there, sucking gently until her breath quickens. He moves still lower, kissing the hollow of her stomach between her hips and holding her wrists. He raises his head and watches her, eyes closed, tongue running across her bottom lip.

"'Nona, what do you want?"

"Mmmmm," she murmurs. She twists one hand from his grasp and knits her fingers into his hair pushing him lower. He puts a hand under her knee and hitches her leg over his shoulder, opening her. He takes her right to the edge, then backs off, listening to her gasps, watching her. He does it twice more. Only when she pulls on his hair and moans "Raylan, please." does he let her finish, sliding up and into her while she still trembles.

"Two," he breathes in her ear. He gets a slow smile and a finger in the ribs.

Much later, closer to morning than night, they wake and make love again, slowly, falling back to sleep almost immediately, but not before he wags three fingers in front of her face. "Like I said," he whispers. "Never underestimate me."